Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been cracking down on criminals and the drug trade in his country often with a heavy hand and even heavier rhetoric.
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He was responding to a Manila Times report, which cited a document received from a “highly placed source” that claims a former United States ambassador to the Philippines made a “blueprint to undermine Duterte”.
Almost 6,000 people have been killed in the drug war since July, according to the Philippines National Police.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has yet revealed another “gangster” story during a recent press conference.
The President likewise explained why it is very hard to catch the big-time drug lords because they have to be caught “actually in possession of the drugs”.
Asked if Philippine intelligence agencies can vet Mr. Goldberg’s plan, the chief executive replied: “I must admit to you that we do not have the really the wherewithal, the hard ones”.
The majority of the deaths are referred to as “unexplained deaths”, which many claim are extrajudicial killings carried out by police and vigilantes with the president’s approval. “Why would I not do it again?” When I say for example, when I pray. like what God told me.it is the same.
Duterte stopped by this town after leading the Rizal Day commemoration rites at Rizal Park in Manila and before heading home to Davao City to spend the New Year holidays with his family. “It happened and I can not lie about it”, he added.
The UN’s top human rights envoy has called for an investigation into Duterte’s claims of killing people, to which Duterte last week responded by calling him “stupid”, an “idiot” and a “son of a bitch” who should go back to school.
Killing criminals, he said, is not a crime.
Watch the full interview on CNN Philippines’ Facebook page. When asked if he takes the alleged coup plot seriously, he said that he is looking at its possibility, however, instead of being afraid, he said that he needs to be prepared.
About a third of the victims have been killed by police but vigilantes are also responsible for numerous deaths.
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Sen. Panfilo Lacson, however, said there must be some explanation with accompanying details as to what Duterte meant by “unintended killings”.
